Classe Audio SSP-300 Owner's Manual
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Classe Audio SSP-300 Owner's Manual

Surround processor
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  • Page 1 Owner’s Manual SSP-300 Surround Processor...

  • Page 2: Risk Of Electric Shock

    (Electromagnetic Compatibility) and LVD (Low Voltage Directive) standards of the European Community. Classe products are designed to comply with international directives on the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) in electrical and electronic equipment and the disposal of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE).
  • Page 3 Important Safety Instructions Caution: Please read and observe all warnings and instructions in this owner’s manual and all those marked on the unit. Retain this owner’s manual for future reference. 1. Do not attempt to service this product yourself. Do not open the cover for any reason. There are no user-serviceable parts inside.

  • Page 4: Table Of Contents

    34 matrix or discrete?.................. 34 multichannel formats ............... 35 post-processing possibilities ..............35 multichannel formats ............... 36 Using the SSP-300 ..................38 source selection ..................38 mode selection..................38 video preview ..................39 controls....................39 system trims..................40 zone control ..................
  • Page 5 The Menu System ..................42 system setup................... 42 volume setup ..................43 rotary....................43 max volume..................45 startup volume................. 45 mute setup..................46 input setup..................46 speaker setup................... 49 profiles .................... 51 triggers setup ................... 52 teach IR....................52 display setup ..................53 brightness ..................

  • Page 6: Welcome To The Classé Family

    Welcome to the Classé family Congratulations on your purchase of a Classé product. It is the result of many years of continuous refinement, and we are sure that you will enjoy it for many years to come. We value our relationship with our customers. Please allow us to stay in touch with you by returning your warranty card now, before you pack up the shipping carton of your new product and forget all about it.

  • Page 7: Unpacking And Placement

    As with any surround processor, it is best to place the SSP-300 centrally within your system, since it is the hub to which all other components are connected.

  • Page 8: Register Your Purchase

    register your purchase! Having found the serial number, now would be a good time to fill out the registration card. Please register your purchase so we can advise you of updates and other items of interest. It will take only a minute or so. Please complete the card now, before you forget. warm up/break-in period Your new Classé...

  • Page 9: Operating Voltage

    If the AC mains voltage indicated on your surround processor is incorrect, please contact your local, authorized Classé dealer or distributor. The SSP-300 can easily be powered by a normal 15-ampere AC mains line. If other devices are also powered from the same AC line, their additional power consumption should be taken into account.

  • Page 10: A Word About Installation

    A Word About Installation Every effort has been made to make the Classé SSP-300 simple and straightforward to install and use. Still, we have no way to evaluate other variables such as the size and shape of your room, its acoustics, and the associated equipment you have chosen to use with your surround processor.

  • Page 11: Special Design Features

    “down” as needed to ensure that all outputs are active, all the time, regardless of input signal. (Note, however, that the SSP-300 does not change frame rates or broadcast standards, e.g., we do not convert from 60 fps NTSC to 50 fps PAL or vice versa.)

  • Page 12: Re-Equalization

    Re-Equalization™ The tonal balance of a standard film soundtrack will be excessively bright and harsh when played back over high quality audio equipment in the home because film soundtracks were designed to be played back in large movie theatres using very different professional equipment.

  • Page 13: Advanced Speaker Array

    Advanced Speaker Array™ The people at THX have also found a solution to a problem that dogged high performance multichannel systems for years: the apparent conflict between optimal music and movie setups. You see, movies are mixed in highly standardized environments, with even spaced surround speakers in an array designed to provide a diffuse, enveloping soundfield.

  • Page 14: Thx Ultra 2 Cinema Mode

    For example, if you are not using one or more of the inputs on your SSP-300, you can delete the unnecessary buttons from the operational menu. Doing so prevents anyone from trying to select a nonexistent source component, with the resulting confusion stemming from the lack of any sound.

  • Page 15: Highly Refined Circuit Design

    The volume control system on your SSP-300 solves this problem by responding differently based on the specific circumstances (e.g. how quickly you are turning the knob and where in the volume range you are). After extensive testing, we feel we have created factory default settings that most people will find intuitive and a real pleasure to use.

  • Page 16: Extraordinary Longevity

    extraordinary longevity Another benefit of having worked with highly refined circuit designs so extensively over many years is that we have vast experience in what works well over the long term. By using only the highest quality parts to begin with, and then using them in an informed way as a result of both accelerated aging experiments and actual long- term experience, we are able to design and manufacture products which we are confident will stand the test of time.

  • Page 17: Initial Setup

    Your new SSP-300 is delivered with default factory settings which this section will use to make your initial task simpler. Please note that these default settings cannot deliver all the performance and functionality that the SSP-300 offers in your particular system.
  • Page 18 Once this period is complete the LED light will remain on while the LCD screen goes into standby mode. A simple touch of the LCD screen will wake up the SSP-300 from its standby mode. The LCD touchscreen will now display a blue screen titled “initializing”...
  • Page 19 For example: the default settings of the bass management system in the SSP-300 are to divert any bass below 80 Hz, in any channel, to the subwoofer output. This is a reasonably safe choice, since few loudspeakers that are likely to be used with equipment of the SSP-300’s caliber are going to be stressed by these settings.

  • Page 20: Front Panel

    ������� ���� ���� ������� Front Panel Standby button & LED indicator The front panel Standby button will toggle the surround processor between its fully operational status and a standby mode that leaves the surround processor off, yet ready to respond to system commands via any of the supported control options (e.g.

  • Page 21: Mute Button

    IR input and an infrared repeater system to solve the problem. For more information about using an infrared repeater system to route signals to the SSP-300, refer to the section Rear Panel later in this manual, or contact your local Classé dealer.
  • Page 22 Volume Knob The large knob on the right side of the front panel of the SSP-300 is used to control the volume of the system. The volume is raised or lowered in precise 1dB increments throughout the range of the control most likely to be used while listening to music.

  • Page 23: Rear Panel

    Rear Panel The table below shows the three types of inputs of the SSP-300 and which outputs can be used. The ✔ symbol indicates a signal is available, the ✘ symbol indicates a signal is not available. For example, with a Component Input an S-Video signal is available from the Main output, but not from the Rec 1 or Rec 2 output.
  • Page 24 Component video as needed for viewing on the MAIN output. Connect the S-video output of your source component to the appropriate S-video input of the SSP-300 using high quality S-video cable for the best results. Your Classé dealer can assist you in making an appropriate cable...
  • Page 25 (e.g., a VHS video cassette recorder or perhaps a video game). S-Video Outputs The SSP-300 provides multiple S-video outputs to support different purposes. • REC 1 and REC 2 are used to send the selected video signal to a video recorder such as a VCR or a Digital Video Recorder (DVR) for recording.
  • Page 26 Audio Engineering Society and the European Broadcast Union. Refer to the operating manual of your digital source to verify that the pin assignments of its output connector corresponds to the SSP-300. If not, wire the cable so that the appropriate output pin connects to the equivalent input pin.
  • Page 27 The SSP-300 has two separate IR inputs, one for the MAIN system and one that addresses only the functions of the remote ZONE. IR commands routed to either input will be interpreted as intended to affect only that section of the SSP-300.

  • Page 28: Microphone Input

    Microphone Input The MIC input on the rear of the SSP-300 is used during auto-calibration of the system. For a quick setup, connect the supplied microphone to this input and follow the procedure outlined in the Initial Setup section of this manual.
  • Page 29 The Component OUTPUT makes the selected video signal available to your main display in a Component video format, regardless of the format in which it was received by the SSP-300. This includes both standard definition and high definition video signals.
  • Page 30 AC Mains Power Switch The main power switch for the SSP-300 is adjacent to the receptacle for the power cord. Switching the unit on puts it in standby mode. The surround processor should be in standby before being switched off.

  • Page 31: The Remote Control

    The Remote Control Your new surround processor comes with a versatile remote control which can control both the SSP-300 itself and several aspects of the rest of a Classé-based system. The buttons are arranged in logical groups according to their functions.
  • Page 32 F1/F2/F3/F4 keys are available for controlling aspects of the SSP-300 not covered by the other buttons on the remote control. You are able to choose what the SSP-300 should do in response to receiving the infrared signal that a particular Fkey has been pressed. The list of possible functions is quite extensive, and is found in the menu system (see the section The Menu System, in this manual).
  • Page 33 Volume Keys Volume Up, Volume Down, and Mute do what you would expect them to do. Trim Key The Trim key takes you directly to the system trims screen in the menu system. Using the touchscreen or the remote control navigation keys you can adjust the speaker(s) as desired.

  • Page 34: Understanding Surround Sound

    Understanding Surround Sound Today’s sophisticated surround sound systems seem to spawn a bewildering array of technologies and acronyms. In this section, we will attempt to give you a basic understanding of what all that jargon means. As a result, you will be better equipped to take advantage of the best that home entertainment has to offer.

  • Page 35: Multichannel Formats

    DTS-ES Discrete all 6.1 channels are discrete post-processing possibilities Once the SSP-300 has decoded the signal it is provided in the appropriate manner, you still have some options as to whether you would like additional processing of the signal.

  • Page 36: Multichannel Formats

    Having done so, however, it may make sense to provide further processing, after the fact. Hence the notion of post-processing. For example: movie soundtracks are created in highly-standardized environments, in order to offer excellent performance in large, commercial theaters. Acoustically, your home is a radically different environment than that for which the movie soundtracks were optimized.
  • Page 37 Note: The THX Ultra 2 modes require the presence of rear channels in addition to the side “surround” channels. These speakers take advantage of THX’s ASA technology to provide a higher- performance, particularly flexible and seamless surround soundfield.

  • Page 38: Using The Ssp-300

    Using the SSP-300 Your SSP-300 includes a versatile touchscreen LCD display which supports most of your day-to-day operations (as well as a flexible menu system for functions you use less often). While the use of this touchscreen is quite intuitive, it is also quite extensive.

  • Page 39: Video Preview

    When you see the surround mode you want, touch its name in the list. The SSP-300 will immediately change its processing to meet your request. You may then either touch the back button at the top left, or simply wait for the touchscreen to timeout and return to the Home Menu on its own.

  • Page 40: System Trims

    The System Trims menu controls several parameters of the SSP-300’s operation that may occasionally need adjustment to suit a particular recording. • level trims are provided for L/R balance, center, surround, rear speakers, and subwoofer. As an example, you might bump up the center channel speaker by 2-3 dB if the dialog in a particular movie is difficult to...

  • Page 41: Position Select

    The SSP-300 supports four different families of settings for various listening positions you may use. The Position Select menu allows you to easily choose among your various listening positions. For example, you might use position 1 to optimize the sound for the seating...

  • Page 42: The Menu System

    OSD (On Screen Display) on the main video outputs. This menu system provides access to many installation-specific features that let you customize how the SSP-300 works within the context of your particular system. They are described in detail below.

  • Page 43: Volume Setup

    • create shortcuts to your preferred or most frequently used functions • program the behavior of the SSP-300’s DC triggers volume setup Touching the Volume button on the “system setup” screen brings up the “volume setup” screen. The buttons on this screen bring up other menu screens that let you: •...
  • Page 44 Thus, if the SSP-300 sees the knob moving relatively quickly, it uses coarse steps to effectively accelerate the action of the circuitry.

  • Page 45: Max Volume

    • high speed: determines the responsiveness of the control when the knob is being turned slowly. A setting of 0 will cause the volume to change as slowly as possible at high knob speeds; a setting of 100 will cause the volume to change as quickly as allowed at high knob speeds.

  • Page 46: Mute Setup

    mute setup Here you can choose how you want the mute button to function. • classic - When the mute button is pressed no audio will be heard. The next two choices are useful in situations where you wish to still hear the audio source but temporarily reduce the volume to a lower level.
  • Page 47 • the digital button takes you to a screen where you can specify which digital connection you wish to use with this source. The SSP-300 has four coaxial digital inputs, two optical Toslink™ inputs, and one balanced digital AES/EBU input, all of which are assignable to any source button you choose.
  • Page 48 The position button allows you to assign a default position setting (a collection of level and delay settings) to a particular input. (This default setting can be temporarily overridden at any time in the Home menu.) The video button takes you to a menu in which you can specify what type of video signal (if any) the source being set up will supply.

  • Page 49: Speaker Setup

    The Speaker Setup menu (found via the following path: system setup/speakers) allows you to tell the SSP-300 about the speakers with which it is working, so it can provide the best and most appropriate signals to each speaker.
  • Page 50 • THX setup sends you to a screen in which you can configure some THX- specific features. Specifically: • THX Ultra 2 sub should be engaged if you are using a subwoofer that is certified by the THX Ultra 2 standard. Such subwoofers are essentially flat to 20 Hz under what might be considered worst-case acoustic conditions for bass, and have prodigious output capability.

  • Page 51: Profiles

    Simply plug in the microphone to the mic input on the rear panel, place the microphone at the desired position, and then press auto levels and auto delays in turn, allowing the SSP-300 to run its tests and establish the correct settings for you.

  • Page 52: Triggers Setup

    Each of the SSP-300’s DC triggers may be programmed to either “logic” (12V) or “inverse logic” (0V) settings. The ability to change the way the trigger operates can solve installation-specific problems that otherwise require external devices that add to both the cost and complexity of your system.

  • Page 53: Display Setup

    For example, if you reduce the timeout to its minimum setting, the backlighting will illuminate the display as soon as you interact with any of the SSP-300 controls, and stay on for only three seconds–just long enough for you to check on something.

  • Page 54: Language

    OSD Touching the OSD button takes you to a screen on which you can select the video system used in your country, so that the SSP-300 can create a compatible on-screen display. The four choices are NTSC, PAL-B, PAL-M, and PAL-N.

  • Page 55: Dolby/Dts Setup

    In any event, you may choose either system depending on which one makes the most sense to you personally. Dolby/DTS setup The SSP-300 incorporates both Dolby Pro Logic II and DTS Neo:6 technologies for converting a two-channel signal into an enjoyable multichannel listening experience.

  • Page 56: Dts Neo:6

    Dolby Pro Logic II. remote Fkeys The remote control supplied with the SSP-300 has four function keys (Fkeys) that allow you to have instant, easy access to specific system functions that might otherwise be buried in a menu somewhere.

  • Page 57: Cautionary Note On Fkey Use

    The status screen provides several items of information about the current operation status of the SSP-300, as well as access to information on the software used in and the internal sensors of the SSP-300. version info The version info button on the status screen takes you to the version information screen, which displays information on various pieces of software used by your SSP-300.

  • Page 58: Troubleshooting

    Troubleshooting In general, you should refer any service problems to your Classé dealer. Before contacting your dealer, check to see if the problem is listed here. If it is, try the suggested solutions. If none of these solves the problem, contact your Classé dealer. Everything appears to be on, but there is no sound.
  • Page 59 ✓ If the input balance appears to be correct, check the interconnect cables between the corresponding source component and the SSP-300. The IR remote control seems not to function. ✓ Ensure that there are no obstacles between the IR remote and the IR sensor (located to the right of the Mute button).

  • Page 60: Care & Maintenance

    Care & Maintenance To remove dust from the cabinet of your surround processor, use a feather duster or a lint-free soft cloth. To remove dirt and fingerprints, we recommend isopropyl alcohol and a soft cloth. Dampen the cloth with alcohol first and then lightly clean the surface of the surround processor with the cloth.

  • Page 61: Specifications

    Specifications All specifications are accurate at the time of printing. Classé reserves the right to make improvements without notice. ■ Frequency response DC – 200kHz ± 0.1dB ■ Distortion (THD + noise) 0.003% ■ Maximum input voltage (single-ended) 5Vrms ■ Maximum output voltage (single-ended) 10Vrms ■...

  • Page 62: Dimensions

    Dimensions �� � ��� � � ��...
  • Page 64 Classé Audio 5070 François Cusson Lachine, Quebec Canada H8T 1B3 +1 (514) 636-6384 +1 (514) 636-1428 (fax) http://www.classeaudio.com email: cservice@classeaudio.com Copyright © 2005 Classé Audio, Inc. Printed in Canada. V 2.0 070505...

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